3

A swarmed dungeon.

Of course, aside from past struggles in her homeland which gave her some combat experience, all her knowledge about monsters and dungeons came from the books she tirelessly read day after day at her academy.

She read about all dungeons, and all monsters, and daydreamed, planning how to deal with each one of them. Hoping someday that knowledge would be useful when she finally jumped into the adventure.

I was so innocent in retrospect, it’s almost cute. She thought in a daze.

Voices echoed from afar, pulling her out of her slumber, but she didn't feel like opening her eyes yet.

That's right, Mandeln was in a dungeon. A proper dungeon is not something only theory can help. She had seen people die, some even died defending her. But why? She was just a nobody, a dropout who had cast away her surname in order to be free, a disgrace. And yet, Jujur died defending her, and Önemsiz took a fatal blow protecting people he just met.

Mandeln felt like crying once more.

Why?

A sharp feeling made her open her eyes. In front of her, there was a pair of hands covered in bloody bandages, probably hiding something nasty underneath. Suddenly, those hands moved just as Mandeln thought about it, and the sharp pain jolted her awake once more, making other parts of her body shiver in pain too.

“Ow…”

“…! Mandeln!” A familiar voice said beside her. “Mandeln, oh dear.”

Startled, the young elf took the struggling hands with utmost care and gently placed them to rest once more. “No,” Fichte said. “You need to rest.”

“The monsters…” Mandeln quietly protested, still in a daze.

“It's been under control so far,” Fichte said. “That thing you did on the door really helped.”

“What did I do?” Mandeln asked sincerely, a tear showing in the corner of her eye. “…Why am I like this?”

“Mandeln…” Fichte said with a pained expression. “You really don’t remember?”

“I remember crossing the door,” Mandeln said, a drop of sweat rolling from her face. “Everything went dark after that.”

“Well,” Fichte said, struggling to find the words and not sound blunt. “When those things attacked, you stayed behind to deal with them, right? So, it seems you actually got pierced a bunch of times by the monsters. And according to Schützen, you hit your head pretty bad against the door too.

As for your hands, well, they were so badly damaged by fire we had to improvise. You probably cast so many fire spells that you hurt yourself in the process. Not that I blame you—in a situation like that, I would have done the same.”

Wow, I didn't even notice how screwed I was. Mandeln thought as tears finally overflowed from her eyes.

“I-I just didn't want to see you guys die…” Mandeln said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Tears from pain, from sadness, from the scars that'll probably ruin her skin, but most importantly, Mandeln cried because she understood the reason she was saved by Jujur and Önemsiz.

“There, there,” Fichte said, caressing Mandeln’s head. “You did great, Mandeln, thank you… I'll bring the healer and that rosary thing so you can heal yourself some more, alright?”

“… Okay,” Mandeln said between sniffs.

The camp was located in a circular room. It was spacious and comfortable, even boasting a fountain in the center to replenish water.

Mandeln was sitting against the fountain, her eyes glued to the book on her lap. It’s been a couple of hours since she woke up, and despite her wounds, she had asked to be placed there. In part, it was because the sound of the water calmed her, but also because the room had a mechanism that allowed sunlight to enter the room, yet another reason Mandeln believed this place was meant for inhabiting.

I can even feel Holy Magic energy coming from the floor. She thought while analyzing the floor she was sitting on. Maybe silver powder to chase ghosts away?

“So that’s where you get all those dungeon facts,” Fichte said as she walked up to the girl, carrying a small basket with some fruits, and sat beside her.

“Ah, thank you, and yes,” Mandeln smiled, taking an apple and biting into it with a satisfying sound. “I haven’t memorized everything yet, so I need to refresh my memory from time to time.”

Yet? Fichte thought but kept the question to herself. She just silently stared at Mandeln for a little while. In natural motion, her gaze eventually landed on the girl’s hands, still bandaged, but at least healed enough to be able to hold objects. Mandeln was still recovering from mana corruption, so she couldn't heal herself fully. Pain crossed Fichte’s eyes at the sight of the poor woman; maybe her fluffy, downcast ears had something to do with it, but her heart ached at Mandeln’s condition.

This is also my fault. Fichte thought, but immediately discarded the notion. She was learning the hard way that having control is not something one can easily maintain inside a dungeon.

“So, anything useful?” Fichte asked, eyeing the book in an attempt to distract her mind.

Mandeln shook her head. “Nothing yet, I’m afraid. As you can imagine, the records are quite vague. I couldn’t find any accounts of Catacombs swarmed by monsters.”

“What? So, that’s not some kind of encyclopedia?” Fichte asked, raising her brows.

“Now that would be handy, isn’t it?” Mandeln said with a chuckle. “But nope. Aside from the material I once read at the academy, most information currently available about dungeons comes from songs, journals from Raiders, and recorded accounts from heroes who came back alive.”

Then, Mandeln turned to her side and pulled out a small book. Having a closer look, Fichte could see how more than a book it was mostly a dirty bunch of scrolls put together on rough leather, and very, very old.

Holding the little book with daring care and a hint of nostalgia, Mandeln continued. “As you might know, Ätherisch was conquered so long ago most records are lost to time. This journal belonged to an old raiding chief who served as one of the first modern guides here, around three hundred years ago. There were no sealed paths nor warning signs back then, so every path near the center needed to be documented, it’s very rich in detail.”

“Wow,” Fichte said with genuine interest. However, something bugged her mind. “But if its contents are what’s important, why pay to make an accurate reproduction of the original?”

“Reproduction?” Mandeln asked while blinking rapidly. “This is the original. I stole it while escaping home.”

Just as Fichte was about to give Mandeln a good lecture on private property, a girl approached them, carrying a bronze staff.

“Miss Mandeln,” The girl bowed with a bashful smile. “It might not be much, but it’s time for the treatment…”

“What are you talking about?” Mandeln smiled back. “I might not even be here if it wasn’t for you. I’m very grateful, Qhana.”

“…! T-then if you allow me to assist you,” Qhana said while readying her implements, then suddenly stopped. “Ah. Excuse me, Miss Fichte. If you stay too close the treatment might reach you instead of Miss Mandeln.”

“Isn’t that good, though?” Mandeln said. “Fichte also has some deep cuts on her leg.”

How did you…?

“I’m fine,” Fichte said, standing up and trying her best to hide the pain on her face. “Your health takes priority; I won’t have it any other way.”

“Okay, okay,” Mandeln sighed and waved her hands. With a pop, her staff appeared in front of her, its weight pressing against her instantly. “O-ow, haha…”

“…If it's fine to ask,” Qhana said timidly as she prepared all sorts of herbs and powders. “Why did you choose that root to make your staff?”

Fichte’s ears perked up as she was filling her water pouch on the other side of the fountain.

“Oho?” Mandeln said with a sly smile. “Want to know the reason?”

“Y-yes!” Qhana said with sparkling eyes, as her straight hair danced along with her excitement. “It has a reason, right? I mean, it’s so big, and thick, and weighty. I could barely handle it even using both of my hands. Your staff must be very powerful; it could dominate anyone!”

Fichte just choked on her water a couple of meters away for some reason.

“Well, you see…” Mandeln said with a satisfied expression. “Actually, this was a gift from…”

Qhana was a sweet yet brave mage of around seventeen years old. In the few hours they’ve known each other, she and Mandeln started to have a Senior-Junior relationship. Apparently, she had recognized some symbols on Mandeln’s clothing after saving her life and was very impressed. Since the moment Mandeln woke up, Qhana had been doing her healing rounds, and each time she came with more and more questions to ask her patient.

As Mandeln told her story, one Fichte could almost recite by memory at this point. Qhana’s eyes got rounder and rounder as her cheeks flushed with emotion.

“A-And then!?” Qhana asked, leaning forward.

“He bequeathed me some wonderful accessories,” Mandeln said, pulling out her sleeve and showing off a beautiful bracelet made of some sort of sky-colored metal. “At sunset, we promised to see each other again, someday.”

“So romantic!” Qhana chirped, using her hands to cool off the heat of her face. “Straight from a fairytale. So have you seen him again, right!? This Saufer person?”

“… No,” Mandeln said, lowering her eyes. “Some years after that, things happened, and I had to move away.”

“Oh… romantic and sad,” Qhana said, respectfully closing her eyes. “I’m sorry for bringing up some bitter memories.”

“It’s fine, really,” Mandeln said, “I’ve always loved dungeons and monsters, but he’s the reason I want to see the world and find out more about places like this instead of just being a bookworm… Although you could say it wasn’t a good idea, looking at me right now, hahah—hng, cough, cough…”

Qhana went pale as a sheet as she remembered why she was there in the first place. Swiftly, she took her staff, placed the perforated shaft close to her lips, and prepared to chant. “I’m so sorry! I’ll start my spell immediately”

“… No worries,” Mandeln said as she took her own staff, a lone sweat drop falling from her eyebrow. “Take the lead, and I’ll assist you.”

A calm and sweet melody flowed from the girls' staves, and then Qhana added her voice, accompanying Mandeln’s melody with in-tune murmurs. As both girls began to play and chant, a golden aura appeared, enveloping them completely.

Fichte had always thought of healing magic as a standout among the other disciplines. Not only was it one of the few branches of magic that required an instrument for chanting, but she had also taken a particular interest in it ever since she watched a skilled magician heal a hideous wound in the blink of an eye. The sight of the blood returning, and skin and bone mending themselves as if in reverse, accompanied by the magician's skillful melodies, had left a strong impression on her.

“Let’s take care of the most painful ones first, alright?” Qhana suggested, and Mandeln obediently started removing some of her bandages during breaks.

Just like her memories, slowly but surely, her wounds began to close. First, a very deep puncture on her sides, then some cuts on her legs that made it difficult for her to walk.

Each time they needed to attend to a wound, Mandeln had to expose it in order to be healed. Qhana was very mindful of not showing more than necessary, respecting Mandeln’s privacy as much as she could, given that they were surrounded by other people.

Even Fichte was a bit curious, taking quick glances at the openings, partly to see the wounds close but also to see what was beneath all that clothing. You couldn’t really blame her, really; Mandeln was usually covered from neck to toe in long, heavy robes, so she couldn’t help herself but peek a bit.

“Alright, I’ll apply some ointment now. Please keep your chant going,” Qhana said as she left her staff on the floor and picked up her bowl.

As she scooped a bit of the paste, she brought it close to Mandeln, still meditating her magic, and slipped her hand below her robes.

“…A-Ah!” Mandeln gasped, the golden aura flickering for a bit. “Sorry, it’s so cold it surprised me.”

“O-Oh, I’m sorry. I put a bit of Ferskur Aloe in as a cooling agent since some of your wounds were cauterized by your spells.” Qhana said nervously. “It’ll be over soon, so please keep the aura stable.”

“Okay…” Mandeln sighed softly while trying to contain her voice. “Please, a bit gentler.”

“U-Understood,” Qhana said with a serious, focused expression.

Fichte’s face was getting increasingly red for some reason as she kept drinking more and more water from her pouch.

Soon enough, the light faded, and Qhana stood up, putting everything back in her bag. Despite being a beginner in healing magic, she made good progress with Mandeln’s assistance. The patient herself was looking better too, as the color was slowly but surely returning to her skin.

“…All good?” Fichte asked.

“It went perfectly,” Mandeln nodded while adjusting her clothes. “Qhana is very skilled.”

“What are you saying…” Qhana blushed. “It was only because you resonated with me so well. Your meditation is so stable and clean, even with pain clouding your mind. How do you even do it?”

“Hmm,” Mandeln pondered. “It probably has to do with…”

As the girls started her chat again, some commotion was heard on the far side of the camp. Then, the remaining door opened, and a group of people entered.

“They’re back!” A woman cried, hurrying to help the expedition group with their equipment.

“Any news?” An old man asked.

“Yes, but nothing good.” The soldier-looking man from before said, his face covered in sweat and soot. “The dungeon’s changed. We lost two of us trying to find our way back. Qhana, we need your help.”

“Y-yes!” Said the girl, quickly waving at Mandeln before leaving.

“But what do you mean it changed?” Schützen asked from a corner. “Something about its layout?”

“It’s exactly like I said,” The man spat. “No path goes to where I remember, it’s like an entirely different dungeon out there.”

Suddenly, Mandeln perked up and let out a quick scream. “Ah!”

“W-What’s the matter!?” Fichte said, startled. “Did a wound open!?”

“The dungeon changed!” Mandeln said with determination.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

“… So it did,” Fichte said, utterly confused.

“One second,” Mandeln said and went back to pick up the little, stolen diary and rummaged through its pages. Finally, she stopped at some page and pointed at its center. But all Fichte could see was scribbles in a language she had no way of knowing. “Sorry, I’ll need some translation.”

“Oh,” Mandeln blinked in realization. “In this passage, the raiding chief talked about how Ätherisch seemed to change each time a passing was recognized by the dungeon. It was the proof historians needed to categorize it as a shape-shifting labyrinth. You know what that means!?”

“Ah!” Now Qhana squeaked, seemingly realizing something.

At this point, the entire room was focused on the two girls. Seeing Fichte’s silence, Mandeln continued.

“Ätherisch changes constantly. We never see it because no major deaths have happened in its main route since it’s been thoroughly explored and taken care of, but below, in the far sides, everywhere else really, it keeps happening—from adventurers to some animal that died of starvation. Its shape-shifting nature means it can expand and shrink randomly. If it shrinks, it just leaves an empty space, but if it expands…”

“…It might fuse with something that was already there,” The soldier finally said.

Mandeln turned quickly, closed one eye, and gave a hearty thumbs up to the man.

“Kaltehölle spiders only breed inside mountains; Ätherisch must have pierced a nest while expanding. That’s why they poured in here,” Mandeln said with a satisfied expression.

The group stood in silence for a little while, looking at the girl standing proudly.

“…In short, we have a dungeon that changes shape when someone dies, and it’s full of monsters that kill quickly. Not a great pair if you ask me.” A man from the exploration group said. “The hell do we do now?”

“Ugh…” Mandeln groaned.

“Not to mention that if the dungeon changed, don’t you think it may have activated all its traps once more?” Another voice added.

“It doesn’t look good in retrospect, huh…” Mandeln whispered loudly, completely defeated.

“Still, that's very good information, girl,” The soldier said. “It’ll be very useful when help comes.”

“…If it comes.” Said the old man from before. “The dungeon is fully activated again, don’t expect them to be swift.”

Silence fell once more in the room. As good as this new information was, it didn’t do much to improve their chances of survival, if at all.

“Mandeln,” Fichte said. “Does that diary mention how long it takes to cross this dungeon in its prime state?”

Mandeln lowered her head. “No, it doesn’t. But according to documents from other, albeit smaller unexplored dungeons, it might take weeks to explore only one floor.”

The silence now was so dense it made Mandeln’s ears feel weird. The only sound that relieved her of that sensation was the sobs of a girl in the other corner of the room. There was no need for words since the message was very clear. No one would come on time, no one prepared meals for more than three or four days.

They’d be dead from starvation before any help arrived.

Finally, a voice behind Mandeln spoke, making her jump at the sudden sound.

Oww…

“There’s no other choice,” Schützen said in a resigned tone. “We need to find an exit ourselves. Ah, sorry Mandeln.”

“I agree with the boy,” The soldier said. “No one will come, so we’ll need to go ourselves. I volunteer myself first.”

“This place is actually closer to the other side,” A strong-looking woman said. “The camp is here only because no one wants to spend the night unguarded.”

“That’s a good point,” A short man, probably a dwarf, said. “Coming from the entrance, we must be a bit further than four-fifths of our way out. It’ll take less time to exit this place, and we might meet with the rescue team midway.”

“The magician lady seems to know her way about dungeons too,” The old man said. “I bet she’ll be very useful.”

“Yes!” Qhana added while tending to a wounded explorer. “She knows a lot of stuff, I’m pretty sure she—”

“And that’s where I stop all of you. I knew this would happen,” Fichte said, standing in front of Mandeln. “Sorry to disappoint you all, but this girl is not going anywhere.”

“Fichte?” Mandeln said in surprise. “I-I might only know from books, but I’m sure I can be of help…”

“I know,” Fichte replied, a hint of frustration in her voice. “I know you can. But I refuse to let you go in your current state. You almost died just hours ago; it might happen for real this time.”

“That’s not for you to decide, elf,” The dwarf said with a grave expression, taking one step towards the girls. “We’ll just die slower if we don’t do something. We need the girl.”

“I won’t die surrounded by cowards,” A new voice said. “Hand her over, now.”

“Take another step and you’ll have to take her from me,” Fichte said, her hands discretely resting on her belt, ready to unsheathe at the minimum provocation.

I just didn’t want to see you guys die

Without warning, Fichte felt something from behind. Not an attack, but something tender hitting her back, and a soft sensation enveloped her entirely. She might be older and taller, but Mandeln’s embrace was so enveloping it completely immobilized her.

“It makes me so happy to see you like this,” Mandeln whispered to Fichte’s slender ear. “But I’m sorry, Fichte. I’m afraid that I will also volunteer to go.”

“This is madness,” Fichte said, turning around and grabbing Mandeln’s face. “What if something happens to you?”

“Something’s going to happen regardless,” Mandeln said. “So I’d rather do something about it.”

Fichte took a long look at Mandeln’s foresty eyes. They were tired, craving some respite, and yet full of determination as their owner decided to put herself in harm’s way once more.

Not even two months had passed since she met this woman; other than some shared experiences, they were almost strangers. Fichte wasn’t used to traveling with others—in fact, she had spent most of her life traveling alone, abandoning her family and even leaving her fiancé behind to see the world, and yet…

“T-then I’ll go with you too,” Fichte said, holding back her frustration. “And don’t you dare to engage in any combat.”

Something inside told her she must not leave Mandeln alone, no matter what. Whether it was because of Mandeln’s close encounter with death just a few hours ago or something else, she didn’t know yet.

“… Alright,” Mandeln smiled.

In the end, they all agreed that despite the urgency, it would be wise to spend the night in the camp and depart before sunrise, rather than wasting their energy fending off monsters in total darkness. This approach would also help them avoid spending a night outside the camp, allowing Mandeln more time to heal and be in better shape for what was to come.

That night, the volunteers gathered to plan the expedition. The group consisted of Mandeln, Fichte, Schützen, Decken the soldier, Rawaqi the dwarf, and Qhana, the elemental magician.

In combat, Mandeln would stay in the middle to ensure no harm came her way. Schützen once again took the vanguard role, leading the entire group and luring stronger foes. Rawaqi would stay directly behind, responsible for dealing as much damage as possible.

Fichte would stay to the left, sticking as close to Mandeln as she could. On the other hand, Decken would cover Mandeln's most injured side. Lastly, Qhana would be at the rear, supporting the group and dealing magic damage, just like Mandeln had done before.

“I don’t have as much mana as Mandeln though…” Qhana said with a self-deprecating voice. “I can't believe she did all those spells without passing out or something worse.”

“No need to sell yourself short,” Mandeln said, rubbing her companion's shoulder affectionately. “You even know Adept spells for all four elements! You're awesome!”

“But you are even learning a Divine chant,” Qhana fought back, still not feeling confident. “And you can cast fire spells without incantations.”

“Not that it would help much against those spiders—unless you want to give them a five-hour concert. Besides, remember these?” Mandeln said, waving her hands that—despite looking in better shape—they were still bandaged, markings of blood making their way through the cloth. “I won't be using fire for a while, that's for sure.”

“And, as we agreed,” Fichte intervened. “You’re only allowed to use magic to heal yourself, Mandeln. Please don’t do something reckless.”

“Understood…” Mandeln lowered her ears.

“You’re looking way better, though, that’s good,” Decken said with a slight smile. “You’ll be ready by next morning. Qhana, we’re counting on you.”

“I’ll do my best!” The girl agreed energetically.

“So,” Fichte said, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention back. “Understanding our roles is good and all, but I need to remind everyone that we must avoid engaging with enemies at all costs. According to Mandeln, any death will trigger the dungeon's mechanism. So, even if we fend off attacks, we’d only be hitting ourselves in the thumb by changing the layout.”

“But the dungeon is swarmed,” Decken said with a grim expression. “How are we supposed to avoid something that’s literally everywhere?”

“I… remember my uncle mentioning something about these spiders,” Qhana said, timidly raising her hand. “He once stumbled upon a small Kaltehölle nest near a tundra. His party lit fires to drive them away.”

As if asking for confirmation, the entire group turned to Mandeln, who was biting her bandages, lost in thought. “…Kaltehölle spiders have a potent, ice-cold venom in their fangs. If that venom happens to evaporate, the spiderlings would be poisoned. That’s why you only find nests in dark and cold places; otherwise, the spiderlings would die.”

“So, we need something to heat the area and make them uncomfortable enough to move away,” Rawaqi gruntled. “But don’t get any ideas about starting a fire in a cramped space—it’ll be your death sentence. Trust a dwarf when it comes to closed spaces.”

The group stood in silence, absorbing the gravity of the situation. Indeed, while it was not completely understood why, it was an unwritten rule to never start a fire inside a dungeon, as people would suddenly pass out even if smoke didn’t come their way. In Mandeln’s case, her extensive use of fire spells while escaping the spiders hadn’t been criticized because it was a matter of survival.

“There are temperature-related spells that don’t need any ignition,” Mandeln pointed. “Do you happen to know Athar, Qhana?”

“Only in theory I’m afraid,” Qhana lamented. “I’m confident I can cast it, but it won’t be efficient at all, and I’ll need some rest periodically.”

“Then how about using it selectively in certain areas we know spiders dwell in?” Schützen suggested. “One of us could walk ahead of the rest and give a signal if they spot something. Then Qhana can cast Athar—or whatever it’s called—and drive them away.”

“That sounds good,” Fichte said, clapping her hands once more. “Then the plan will go like this, please listen to everything before giving your thoughts.”

At the silent stares, Fichte continued. “I propose we don’t restrain ourselves at the beginning and attack on sight. Even if we walk for an hour, we can find our way back to the camp if needed even with the dungeon changing shape. After that, we’ll switch to Schützen’s idea. He’ll go ahead and keep an eye out for spiders from a distance. The moment he spot some, Qhana will cast Athar and make them move away. The rest of us will be ready to act if the spell fails, or we get attacked.”

Mandeln was the first one to raise her hand. “I don’t think Schützen is the best choice for this. His armor is just too loud and will give our positions away very easily. Someone with light armor or robes should go instead. I—”

“Then I’ll go,” Fichte said sharply. “I’m sorry, Mandeln, but I’m not allowing any more danger to you.”

“Oh, okay…” Mandeln said while lowering her ears even further this time. It was clear the girl wanted to be useful, yet Fichte was fixated on keeping her safe, shooting down each idea where she was actively involved.

Goddess damn it, Mandeln! I know! I’m sorry! So stop it with the ears! Fichte screamed to herself.

“I have a change to the plan,” Decken said, interrupting Fichte’s inner turmoil. “Attacking at the beginning might sound good in theory, but it’ll fall very short if we don’t know a sure way back. I propose luring them to the camp so we deal with them while having the number's advantage. Then depart after the area is clear.”

“Ooh, good one,” Schützen said. “If we tie a thread to ourselves, we can easily find our way back to the camp without getting lost.”

“We might lose an hour or so, but at least we secure ourselves a safe start,” Rawaqi added.

“Alright,” Fichte nodded. “We’ll add it to the plan. Any other changes?”

The group stood in silence for a bit, looking at each other. It seemed they had something going, it was not much but at least they knew what to do now.

“Then let’s get some rest,” Decken said, getting up and signling the end of the meeting. “We’ll start before dawn.”

Normally, Mandeln wouldn’t have slept a wink in anticipation, but the strain on her body from the morning’s events was so great that she slept like a log. It wasn’t the same for Fichte, however, who barely slept because she was worried and kept an eye on Mandeln

It was still night when everyone capable of fighting gathered near the door. In truth, nobody in the camp had a peaceful night since Decken informed everyone of their plans before going to bed. After seeing the state of the newcomers who had escaped a horde of those spiders, nobody was too thrilled about the idea of letting themselves be invaded willingly, even if it would lower the number of enemies and give the group a better chance to exit Ätherisch and get help.

The thread idea turned out to be cumbersome and dangerous, as one might trip while escaping. So Qhana—under Mandeln’s guidance—improvised a small familiar that would remember the path and return on her call when needed, allowing the lure to follow it back to the camp.

“Before we do anything, let me check something,” Decken said as he approached the door.

It only took one knock for dozens of them to reply back. The big door trembled menacingly for a moment, causing some to brace themselves in case it broke. “Well, it seems we have some eager guests waiting for us.”

“They sound like a small group, thankfully,” A mace-wielding man said.

“At least smaller than the swarm we escaped yesterday,” Schützen added with a shiver.

“Even a small group can be troublesome, I don’t want to take any risks,” Decken said while brushing his sight around the camp. “Everyone without desire to fight, please go to the opposite wall. Warriors who’ll stay, please take the front.”

Unease was etched on everyone’s faces as they took their positions. Forcing their way out of Ätherisch wasn’t much of a plan, but they had no better options. If they went, they might die; if they stayed, they would surely die. There was no way around it—they needed to go.

With the help of two men, Decken slowly opened the door. Immediately, a strong shove from the other side made them push back fiercely. Through the gap, an enormous, hairy leg thrust forward, desperately trying to pierce anything in its path. A woman wielding an axe let out a scream and swung at the leg, cutting it neatly. A disgusting growl echoed through the camp as the leg’s former owner halted its push.

With a slam, the door closed once more, everyone watched the leg writhe on the ground for a little while.

“…Sorry about that,” Decken said with a hint of embarrassment. “It’s pretty startling up close.”

“Just open the thing entirely,” The woman with the axe said. “We’ll figure out what to do next.”

They did as the woman instructed and didn’t push back, allowing the door to open completely. From outside, five Kaltehölle spiders made their way into the camp.

About a meter tall and two wide, the spiders poured inside, pushing against each other. Screams echoed through the camp as the fighters scrambled to block the spiders' advance. Mandeln felt her blood run cold as she instinctively readied her staff, but all she could do was watch from afar. Despite the fighters doing good work against them, more and more spiders kept coming.

“Mandeln, watch out!” Fichte screamed, rushing to stand in front of her, daggers unsheathed.

In front of them, they could see some spiders climbing the walls and ceilings, heading towards the back of the room. This serious oversight in their plan forced all the warriors to break formation immediately and retreat.

“Oh no, you won’t!” Rawaqi shouted, throwing both of his light hammers at the ceiling, knocking two spiders down to the floor. He then pulled out a short sword he had for quick attacks and swiftly stabbed the monster that had landed belly-up, killing it instantly.

The other landed directly in front of Fichte, who was shielding Mandeln the moment she noticed something was amiss.

As the spider focused on them, it stood still for a brief moment. It had been a long time since Fichte seriously fought, in fact, she couldn’t remember a time she had fought for her very life before to this extent. Most of the time, she had used her daggers mostly for intimidation or light clashes to facilitate her escape. Not that there was time for remembering past struggles nor how to move her body as she used to, as the monster whose siblings killed so many people in front of her the day before suddenly moved with frightening speed.

Startled, Fichte took a step back and felt her legs weaken. The creature then lunged at her. She braced herself for the attack, but weirdly nothing came, as the spider stopped mid-movement.

“Woah! These things are hairy!” Schützen shouted, perched on the monster’s back, holding two of its legs and immobilizing it. “Ew, I have them in my mouth!”

Focusing her eyes again, Fichte saw the spider's struggling belly as its legs wriggled desperately, its sickly green venom oozing from its fangs.

The sight almost made Fichte lose her breakfast.

“Elf!” Rawaqi yelled. “They’re soft underneath! Use those daggers!”

Without thinking, Fichte quickly moved her arms and crossed her daggers in an X on the spider’s belly, causing all sorts of fluids to gush out. With a scream, she kicked the monster—and Schützen—away, watching it writhe until it finally curled up and stopped moving.

It all lasted just mere seconds, but Fichte was panting, trembling, and soaked in cold sweat and monster fluids. She was in shock, probably the only thing keeping her from fainting.

“F-Fichte, are you okay?” Mandeln asked from behind.

As she came back to her senses, Fichte could see the dead creature and the guy struggling to get out from underneath it. Still in a daze of adrenaline, Fichte pulled the man’s hand without much thought and helped him to get up.

“Uh… I think he meant for you to stab it instead of slicing it,” Schützen said, taking the hand Fichte offered to get up.

“Don’t make me stab you as thanks,” Fichte said, pulling the guy up. “Ugh! I’m covered in shit now!”

“That was a cool-looking attack though, thank you!” Mandeln said with a smile, peeking from Fichte’s shoulder. “Ah, it seems the others handled the rest too.”

“Whatever, can someone get me a towel? Even a rag or something—I don’t care.” Fichte said, trembling slightly. She was happy because Mandeln was safe, but there were more important things to attend to now the danger had passed, as she could feel something coming up her throat.

As Fichte wiped herself and swallowed back her breakfast, the rest of the group gathered the corpses and piled them in a corner.

“That’s twelve—great job, everyone,” Decken said, turning to the others. “Any casualties?”

“Just some scratches; we can keep going,” replied the strong-looking woman who was in charge of the soldiers staying behind.

“Good, we’ll rest a bit and then keep going,” Decken nodded, heading off to wash his head.

After that, everyone capable of running took turns heading outside alongside Qhana’s familiar and lured some spiders in. Thankfully, the initial group had been the largest; the rest only came in pairs or trios. By the time a man with long donkey ears returned empty-handed, almost thirty spider carcasses were piled in the corner, covering more than a third of the camp.

Overall, the whole ordeal took around two hours.

“Even when I yelled and hit the walls, nothing came,” The man confirmed. “Path’s clear.”

“You did great, everyone. Thank you very much.” Decken said sincerely to the ones staying there. “I promise to bring back good news. Now, everyone ready?”

“As ready as I can be…” Fichte replied, now clean but already done with this dungeon business.

“After you,” Rawaqi said, hoisting his backpack.

“Yes!” Schützen said with firm nervousness.

“The longer I stay, the less I want to go, so let’s go,” Qhana said bravely.

“May destiny find us well,” Mandeln prayed.

Without another word, the volunteers stepped through the door, followed by the hopeful stares of those they had promised would receive help soon.